What Nighttime brought
by Kitten2
Summary: Riddick is offered a chance to get out of prison with conditions. One of those conditions is helping his benefactor find a man everyone thought was dead... slight Crossover with DBZ
1. Prologue

It was the darkness of the slam that made it perfect for all those high ranked criminals. You might see the light of day, when you were executed. Most men didn't care for that but, with all things, they knew that eventually they'd see that glimmer of the sun reflecting off of old world style rifles. A unique trait here in Shirzat Seven.

But today was different for one man, little did he know that his life would be changing in ways he would never truly understand.

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She wasn't very big, maybe five feet two inches if her feet were bare. But she made up for that stature by carrying herself with a commanding sense of self worth. Her dark eyes flicked back and forth, studying cells as she passed them and finding their occupants to be lacking. No, her goal was deeper in the pit of Shirzat.

The guard in front of her stopped and flicked open a console hiding a numerical keypad. His fingers moved quickly over those numbers that never lit though perhaps, years and years ago, they once did. Stepping to one side, he ushered the woman into a waiting elevator then joined her for the trip that would take them two miles below the surface.

"Lady, are you sure you want to be around all these S-ranked criminals? They're not likely to be nice to a woman on her own."

Full pink lips twitched upwards in a mock smile. "Oh? And what makes you think they'll lay a hand on me?"

"Hey, just trying to give you a heads up."

She shook her head. "I know all I need to about the man I'm after, but if you're scared…" Her words trailed off when the guard stiffened and a soft laugh escaped from her mouth. "You should be."

In the dank confines of cellblock 9, a silver pair of eyes flashed in curiosity while the man inside sharpened a shiv he'd made out of a piece of rock from his cage. He could hear people coming and one seemed to smell female. It had been a long time since that alluring mix of a woman's flesh and fruity shampoo had passed anywhere near his being. For now, he would wait to see what she wanted and, if he found it to be beneficial, he might actually listen to what her real offer was. Until then, he'd search her for weaknesses that only his highly trained eyes could pick out.

The woman smiled when she noticed her intended victim watching her with the same intensity as some of the charges she kept on her own ship. This would be an interesting meeting indeed.


	2. Chapter One

Author's Note: Yeah, hopefully I'll get this story rolling nice and quick with no hitches!!

Disclaimer: Whatever in this story you haven't heard of, that's mine, everything else probably belongs to someone else.

Chapter One: The Devil's Bargain

"The only people who come down here are guards and other prisoners too stupid to know what's good for them. Trying to make a name for themselves and prove that their hot shit." The man in the cell leaned forward, his eyes flashing again as a faint light hit them. "What most of them don't realize is that those of us put down here, we don't have anything to prove anymore because we are hot shit."

He chuckled harshly. "Well…they seem to think so anyway. Obviously you aren't one of those adrenaline junkies out to turn yourself into something you're not."

The woman moved forward and folded her arms across her chest. "Tell me then, Riddick…what exactly do you think I am?"

Riddick shrugged then grinned. "Fair game for the rapists."

Eyes sliding shut, she laughed softly then motioned for the guard to leave. "Richard B. Riddick, S-ranked criminal for the murder of over two hundred people during a Necromonger invasion. You've got eyes that can see a pin dropping in the dark and reflexes that have saved your ass one time too many."

"Well lady, seems you know something about me…"

She looked up and moved closer to the door of his cell. "Age: 36, weight…depends on what planet you're on. You can fly a ship and kill without a second thought. My question is, are you the man I need for this job I have in mind, or do I have to go with the runner up sitting two cells down from you?"

"That depends on the job."

Her hands came to rest on the bars. "I'll tell you what, if you agree to help me with the first part of this job then I'll get you out of this hell hole and fix you up with a hot shower. Then, if you manage to complete that stage, I'll tell you what I need you to do."

He snorted even as he moved to the door and reached out to finger her hair. "Been a long time since I've smelled a woman. Might decide to take a little personal gratification from you."

One dark eyebrow lifted. "You could try, but then where would you be?"

"Probably sitting pretty on your ship while your body floated out of the air lock."

Once more she laughed. "Fair enough. I need you to help me out with convincing a prisoner to leave a prison you know very well. Quaint place, a little hot, smelly as hell. But we won't be there long enough to let the stink sink in."

"Cremetoria…and what are we after there?"

"Someone with a record most of you criminals have wet dreams when you think of copying it."

He let out a low whistle. "Lady you are some kind of crazy. I've only heard of six Alpha ranked criminals in the verse and, from what I've heard, they're all long gone."

"Not all of them. This one's still alive and kept in a neat little cell you've probably walked over hundreds of times during your stay in Cremetoria. But if you're scared…"

"Who said I was scared?" Riddick's eyes narrowed. "You want that type of man working for you then obviously this job is something special. But what do I get out of it besides a trip away from the slam?"

"That's the pretty part isn't it? I dangle the bait and you hem and haw over whether or not it's worth chasing. I guarantee this one will get your motor running." She brushed his hand away from her shoulder. "Freedom Riddick. Once you complete this job for me…all of your records will be cleared and no one will chase you for bounty again. Unless you decide to go on another killing spree."

"What, no money?"

"After the job is done, there will be money."

"Well then lady, I've got one more question to ask you."

"Ask away."

"You got a name or should I keep calling you lady?"

"Kat, and I might just be the only person who will ever bring themselves to saving your life these days."

This time his laugh was low and menacing. "Well Kat, you've got me intrigued enough by mentioning a man that I still don't believe is alive. Let's say you cut the bullshit and get me out of this place."

Kat smiled and stepped back from the door, letting it swing open for the first time since it'd been unlocked at the start of their conversation. "Don't disappoint me Riddick." She turned to walk away. "You won't like the consequences if you do."

"Lady, there's not much in the verse that I do like."

"I was counting on you saying that."


	3. Chapter Two

**Author's Notes: I should probably beg for reviews…but then, this story isn't quite at that stage yet. Soon though…very soon. Swearing, and not mild either, in this chapter. **

**Disclaimer:: I don't own much of anything but the ship you'll be meeting, and a few other interesting things that pop up from time to time. **

**Chapter Two: What the Devil really wants…**

There were several truths in life that Riddick tried to keep in mind whenever he ran across someone who proved beneficial to him. There's no such thing as a fair deal, and when in doubt, kill it. Those two in particular had been quite useful over the years. Only problem was, this time around he couldn't exactly kill her without satisfying his curiosity about that Alpha ranked criminal on Crematoria. She promised safe passage in and out of the slam and that was something else he wanted to be a witness to.

So he followed her onto her skiff and quietly watched her operate the controls to get them away from Shirzat Seven. Even after they broke atmo, he remained silent and watchful because something about her movements seemed off and forced. Perhaps his benefactor was scared of him after all?

"We'll hit Crematoria in about three days, you bunk in the cargo bay." Kat stood from her chair and stretched the kinks from her body. "I'd recommend that you keep your distance."

Riddick's eyebrows shot up. "And how do you plan on keeping me away?"

She grinned. "Did you want to test me Riddick? Or perhaps you planned to have me submit to your…strength?" Her eyes narrowed in thoughtful speculation. "Oh I get it…I'm female and alone so I'm fair game?"

"I wouldn't go far as to assume all of that lady." He cracked his neck and removed his goggles. "But if you're offering then I won't say no."

"You have three minutes, if you can't pin me within that time frame…well…let's just say that you're stuck with your hand for now."

"I can handle that." He rushed her, testing to see her reaction, and was rewarded with a size six boot digging into his gut from a crouching kick. His muscles tensed. That woman kicked a lot harder than he had expected.

She slid beneath his arm and slammed the heel of her palm into the vulnerable area right above his groin, earning her a muffled intake of breath and the back of his elbow catching her in the ribs. Kat chuckled softly through the pain and lashed out with a kick to his tailbone that he deflected with a backhanded grab. Her mouth curved into a malicious grin as she launched herself using his grip for leverage and planted her foot upside his head, dropping him to the ground.

He grunted in pain and rolled onto his back. "You're good."

"No better than you, but then…I've had a long time to hone this skill." She wiped her hands off on her pants and checked her watch. "Time's up Riddick."

"Damn…"

**Crematoria-the deepest cell available **

**He hated this fucking planet. It always smelled of sweat, death, and fear and he couldn't stand that combination with such intense heat. And the sounds, men squabbling over his head or, in some cases, dying horrible deaths from the hellhounds. His jet black eyes narrowed. It never changed around here. **

**He survived off of the goodwill of others, mostly by turning halfway cannibalistic or on the rare occasion the guards tried to feed him to the hellhounds, destroying those instead. That barely kept him alive. The amounts of food his body needed to keep him in peak physical condition were ten times what the hellhounds themselves weighed. Fucking animals, always stalking him from above. At least they had the good sense to be afraid when he was let loose. **

**His cracked lips pulled back to reveal elongated canines shining brightly from light seeping through the cracks of his cell. The asshole who'd had him locked up knew that he'd survive indefinitely on low rations so long as they never forgot to feed him. And that was the point, keeping him alive as long as they could. There were probably specific instructions in the guard's files on what was needed to keep him going. He'd come close to succumbing once though, during a prison break three years earlier when most of the guards had been killed and the prisoners knew to avoid his part of the slam. Sweet darkness had been whispering naughty words in his ears, begging him to release from life. **

**He shivered at the pleasurable thought. At Two Hundred Fifty years of age, he was tired of being alive. Most thought he was immortal, they were half right. He'd eventually die of old age, but by that time man-kind should have forgotten all about his race and his past deeds. A parting gift from the woman he once called mate. Loving her had been the only thing that kept him sane and put most of his killer instincts to rest. But she'd died when he was ninety, looking every bit of her eighty-five years while he still seemed to be no more than thirty. A lingering racial curse and yet again, another gift from her. **

**His head turned to one side when a soft grating noise started overhead. Someone was opening his cage, earlier than to be expected. A strange development indeed. His nose twitched so faintly one would have thought they imagined it. But there was someone coming and whoever they were, no fear stench clung to them and every signal showed calm collection. How interesting. Gathering his energy, he leapt out of his cell and landed in a flawless fighting crouch ten feet away from is visitor. **

"**Well shit…and I thought you were dead in there…" **

**Voice rusty from disuse, he chucled softly and straightened up. "Well, I hate to disappoint you if you had hoped to scrounge any valuables from my rotting corpse." **

**"No problem, not here to loot anyway." Riddick stepped closer and lifted his goggles. "I've got a proposition for you."  
**


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter Three: The Devil's Curse…

Medical Wing of Crematoria

Kat frowned while looking over the medical charts for 6 of 15 hellhounds. "You guys haven't been feeding them their supplements."

"So what, they eat well enough as is."

Her eyes narrowed at the new warden as she straightened and thumped 6's side. "If you don't give them their supplements they'll start to die and then I'll stop delivering you new beasts to replace the one's being quarantined or killed." She shooed 6 away. "Keep this up and there's no way you're getting the Cordian Drakes."

"Why the fuck not? We take good enough care of the animals and they're happy getting free reign of the prison every day."

"And how many of your men have you lost since you took over? The Drakes are not easy to handle, a trait I pride in them."

"Seven, but…"

Slicing her hand through the air, she tossed the medical chart into her bag and snapped it shut. "NO EXCUSES!!"

The warden had the good sense to cringe then leered. "You think you're all big and mighty, supplying us with the hounds. I bet anything that you're just a weak little slut. Who'd you have to spread your legs for to get this job?"

Her lips thinned. "I've been working this job for a lot longer than you've been alive you ignorant fuck!" She picked up her bag. "Where are the two I've requested?"

"Being loaded up on your skiff. I've left a couple of guards there to keep an eye on your…guests when they get there as well."

"That won't be necessary."

"Hey lady, it's your funeral. Though if you wanted to have a little fun…"

Fist snapping out quickly, she caught him in the throat and sighed when he dropped to his knees, gasping for breath. "Your kind of fun I can live without."

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The pit

"You've got ten seconds to convince me not to kill you then…you're fair game."

Riddick shrugged. "I'm here on orders to get you and spring you from this place to help with a particular job."

"Really?" White gloved hands quickly ran through black spikes of hair. "And what makes you think I'd actually help with this job?"

"Freedom upon completion."

"Hn…"

"So, which prisoner are you? Obviously you aren't one of the Ice-jins."

"Vegeta, and you're right, I'm not one of those disgusting lizards."

"Heh, I've heard of you. Planet wide genocides are your specialty. Though rumor has it, you went and disappeared for fifty or so years before making a comeback on the mercenary lists. Got paid good money for it too."

"Perhaps." Vegeta laughed darkly. "Though what you didn't know was that I killed the people who contracted me when they refused to pay. You probably think you're some big shot killer yourself, am I right?"

"Nah, you got it all wrong. I'm a murderer and a flight risk. No discrimination and definitely not paid for my work." Riddick lifted his head and studied the much smaller man with open curiosity in his reflective silver eyes.

"Ah…I've heard of you. Took over the Necromonger fleets when you killed their leader."

"Didn't want it, too much hassle and drama."

"Hn…so what's the job?"

"Don't know yet, she hasn't said anything to me about it and I doubt she will until you've decided whether or not you're willing to join us."

"Well then, can't keep the lady waiting. I'd rather get the fuck off this shithole and do some crazy lady's idea of a job than stick around for the guards to keep starving me."

"She can't be all that crazy, look at who she chose for the job."

Vegeta snorted even as he followed the larger killer out of the hellhole he'd called home for the past hundred and some odd years.

Loading dock

Securing the last line around her cargo, Kat straightened then looked out towards the docking bay of her skiff. "Good to know you're accomplished at persuasion."

Riddick snorted. "Doesn't take much given the choice between freedom and eternity in a cell barely big enough to move around in."

"Either way." She bowed her head to the smaller of the two. "I'm glad you decided to enjoy us Prince Vegeta."

Eyebrows lifting in surprise, Vegeta nodded in acknowledgement and moved to study the crates. His curiosity was greeted by a shivering rattle of scales and a long body uncurling itself from the opposite side of the cargo netting. "I see you enjoy keeping dangerous company."

"I make do with what I get." Kat snapped her fingers and rubbed the hellhound's head when it came to press it's body against her legs. "They're protective and are excellent for controlling the riffraff." She smiled down at her creature companion. "Number 5 here is special…only on loan to keep the new stock in line. Number 9 over there well…he's going home for some much needed medical treatment. His sulfur levels are low and they hadn't been giving him enough iron to strengthen his armor. Shame really."

"So you supply them to this prison?" Riddick crouched in front of 5 and met her shined gaze. "Kind of a sick profession if you ask me."

"I didn't ask you and I don't want your approval. Now, you two have a choice between bunking in the cockpit or my cabin. I'd recommend my cabin as these two have free roam of the ship at all times and they're very particular about keeping my space as safe as possible."

"Is that another offer?"

"Three minute rule Riddick."

"Damn."

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Author's Notes: Well, I'm trying to do most of this by memory, it'd help if I had the original copy with me to use for references. Anyway, sorry this one is so very short but that's the way it's going to have to be because the next chapter introduces you to the Obulisk. A ship that is nearly as large as one of those big white arrow thingies on star wars. You'll see why when I finally explain her in all of her glory.


	5. Chapter Four

Alright, I don't own Riddick, or Vegeta, but I do own the obulisk and a great deal many of the characters aboard the ship. Though…if anyone know's dbz, they'll recognize a few…added characters..  
Italics=flashbacks/dreams

Chapter Four: The Devil's Delight…

_  
The screams were horrible. Long limbs tipped with deadly scythe shaped talons made for ripping and gripping were reaching for her. She could smell the creatures fetid breath as it washed over her skin. The scent of carrion was overwhelming but not so much as the scent of it's chemical colored blood. Three talons ripped into her right hip, grating painfully against her pelvic bones then digging into her lower belly. A strangled scream tore from her throat, overpowered only by the coughing roar of number five as the hellhound tore through her bedroom door as though it were flimsy plastic instead of reinforced metal designed to withstand a breach in the hull of her ship. Before she lost consciousness, she felt the talons tear out of her body and heard a hissing rattle followed by a wet snap…_

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Kat jerked awake in the pilot seat of her ship, clawing frantically at the temporary stasis unit she had strapped to her wrist. She needed to get up and move around, get the feeling of being crushed out of her system before docking the mini cruiser inside her ship's fight deck. In the background she heard five's scales rattling together in agitation; a comforting noise that let her know she was, for the time being, safe. As she got to her feet and tossed the stasis unit onto the co-pilot's chair, she ran her free hand through her hair and shivered.  
How long would she have to deal with the nightmares of that attack on the safety of her own ship? It destroyed any and all faith she had in her ability to protect her own people and the creatures she cared for throughout the Obulisk. If it weren't for the majority of the animals living aboard the ship, she probably would never have cleared out all the deadly species that had escaped confinement and infiltrated the Obulisk's ventilation system. A deadly species she had been contracted to recapture and confine on her main employer's private compound for further study; no matter the cost to her and her crew.

Another shiver caused goose bumps to cover her skin as she slapped a hand against the small cruiser's bathroom light, cutting on both the source of illumination and the shower. Dropping her clothes to the floor she moved towards the already steaming water and stepped beneath it's soothing spray, absently checking off the list of protocol she'd have to go through during the docking procedure. Of course; her mind wandered to the two high class con's still trapped in the artificial rest brought on by the stasis units she'd slipped onto their wrists. Dealing with them and telling them what, exactly, the job she'd offered entailed, was a high priority, but not so much that they were her main concern.

She'd have to get one of the cyber-units, probably seventeen, to relocate them to their new quarters while she worked on her animal charges. Obtaining the cons had put her behind schedule and she had a few that were in their last stages of gestation. Perhaps had those particular creatures been more common-place, she wouldn't be as concerned about ensuring the survival of their young. However, their size demanded critical surveillance and she wasn't about to risk 30 million credits because of a complication during delivery.

Goosebumps dotted her skin as the water cooled and she sighed before exiting the shower. Though her methods seemed cold and calculated to many of the people she dealt with, they were efficient and kept her in business for six decades. She shivered and looked at herself in the mirror, studying her unlined face and straight brown hair. Not many people actually knew that she'd been alive for so long, and the odds were good that no one would know it when she hit her hundredth year. With any luck, she'd be no more than her late thirties and still, according to human standards, in her prime.

** Five whined and pressed against her bare thigh in a pathetic attempt to gain affection. Of course, it worked, and soon five was happily rumbling in her chest while her master beat her side with one fist. Oh, she was a lucky and favored hellhound, always getting extra rations of iron sulfate and when she was really begging, a chance to hunt with the Ironhides. Sometimes the Ironhides left bits of copper and pyrite for her to gnaw on, or bones. Five really liked bones. **

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It was sharp pains in his stomach that woke Vegeta from his cryogenically induced slumber. From there, it was the musky scent of warm flesh tickling his nose and a gentle up and down motion that caused his eyes to snap open. Surveying his immediate surroundings, he took in the unfamiliar wood paneling over the metal frame of his room that signaled that he was no longer aboard the small cruiser. Listening carefully, he could even hear the deep thrum of massive engines working in sync with an unparalleled life support system.

He turned his gaze towards the man he'd been using as an impromptu pillow and frowned. It wasn't every day he woke up in bed with another person and although he didn't mind waking up to a man who moved, smelled, talked, and acted like a predator. That in itself was a comfort. And, since he didn't hurt anywhere, and there was no lingering scent of sex on their bodes, he was quite positive that they had been placed in that position by another party.

A non-issue if ever there was one. He moved off the bed so quickly that, had he not been there seconds before, one would have thought there had only been just Riddick using it. Later he would discuss sleeping arrangements with the other man. Right now, however, he was more curious about the ship he was now onboard. And the best way to do that, would be to find Kat for answers. A task that would be easier said than done if he hadn't already memorized her particular scent and basic level of ki.

Her trail led him down three decks of living quarters and into a whole new environment that he had never experienced for as long as he'd been alive.

One of the first things he noticed was the scent of brine and damp. To his left, until the corridor curved to the right, were tanks of varying sizes and illumination filtered through the familiar break of water. To his right, were much larger tanks, with one following the left curve of the corridor and showing nothing more than vague images through the murky waters. Moving away from the steps, he approached one of the few tanks that lacked illumination of any sort. He was intrigued by what might be kept in such an environment and tapped, gently, on the glass with one finger.

Bright flares of multi-colored bio luminescence lit the tank, revealing a transparent creature with a mouth full of backwards hooking teeth as long as his hands. Said creature was also eyeing the person inside the tank in a manner that suggested it was quite hungry and she would do quite nicely for a snack. His eyes went wide.

"Silvic Eel, one of three we have here on this ship, she's pretty isn't she?"

Vegeta turned to look at the man who'd spoken to him then jumped back into a fighting stance. He'd recognize those cold blue eyes anywhere. "Did you put her in there?"

Flipping long black hair over his shoulder, 17 shook his head. "No, Kat climbed in there on her own free will. She's quite safe for the most part. Those eels don't eat flesh, or plant life for that matter, they're a self sustaining eco-system all on their own and, that one is pregnant."

"Pregnant…" Vegeta looked back at the tank and frowned. "How sure are you that she won't be eaten?"

"Oh…completely. She's been working with this one since it was a fry, about six feet. Besides, even the wild ones aren't carnivores. They're mainly for show. We have high hopes that they'll be enough of a deterrent from swimming on Trennan 7. But if they aren't well…" 17 trailed off and looked at the tank adjacent to the Silvic Eel's. "Worse case, those will take care of the stupid ones."

"Of course they will 17, their one of the most voracious eaters I've had on board this ship." Kat climbed out of the eel tank and wrung out her hair with a grin. "I see you've decided to explore around here, Vegeta, how do you like the Obulisk?"

Author's Note: I know, it's not a full description of the Obulisk, and that the beginning makes little sense, but don't worry, I will bring everything together and finish introducing you guys to the ship. She's just too large to hit in one chapter. Besides…it's Riddick's exploration that's much more…in depth.


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